This is part one of a series on facilitating meetings for nonprofit managers, organizers, members and volunteers.

Congratulations! Someone trusted you enough to be a leader. That means that other people’s time and the projects that are very important to them and your community are ultimately your responsibility.

What do I want, when I go to a meeting with a group I’ve never worked with before? To not leave aggravated!

I am suggesting that you, the group facilitator, become an autocrat, about group systems. I don’t mean, you rule with an iron fist over a whole project you are facilitating, after all we want to avoid a coup d’etat.

Have you noticed how everyone is excited at the first meeting? Then about half way through, the energy slows, because the group is still stuck on some very boring matter of business. What isn’t happening is moving forward on a project and people are getting grumpy. Trust me, they want to leave and never come back!

Don’t worry we won’t let that happen to you, this series will offer you a tool box of systems, forms & how to guides. I’m going to walk you step by step through a meeting and make sure you have created,  a productive environment before the meeting starts a productive environment.

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Now go volunteer!